


Beauty and the Bat Beast

by GeneratorCat



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Beauty and the Beast AU, M/M, background SuperBat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 10:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8664208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneratorCat/pseuds/GeneratorCat
Summary: Tim is a teapot, Jason is an armchair, and Bruce is... something. And Clark is here to save them all. If Bruce would just get his furry ass out of the basement.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt, A kiss we had to wait for.
> 
> (And I got the idea from this [sterek fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/521387), which is pretty cute if you’re into that ship.)

“This is it,” Tim whispers, quiet as if he’ll scare the man away, even from two rooms away. As if somebody overhearing would ruin everything.

But Jason hears, what with Tim being tucked against his arm. Jason feels hopeful for the first time in years, and he fluffs up his cushion a little, rocking Tim playfully. The soft clink of Tim’s lid rattling is Jason’s favorite sound. He asks, “How long do you think it’ll take?”

Tim dips his spout in a way that Jason has learned means would be a shrug, if he still had shoulders. “It can’t be too long, right? Bruce has been cooped up in here for nine years, he’s got to be desperate.”

“He didn’t seem too desperate earlier.”

“Yeah. Well.” There’s not much Tim can say to defend Bruce’s reaction to the man. But he still manages to sound hopeful when he tells Jason, “But it’ll get better. It has to.”

~

It does not get better.

Two weeks later, Bruce is still refusing to leave the cave.

Tim spends every night on Jason’s cushion, assuring him (and himself) that it’ll work out. That they will be saved.

~

Jason knows Bruce is a man of solitude. He always has been, even before he went and got himself cursed. But for all of his insistence that he wants to be alone, that he’s better off that way and doesn’t need anybody, he’s quite dependent on his staff, and he obviously cares for them. No one else, Jason imagines, could pull off that magnitude of angsty self-isolation while reveling in the companionship of his friends and family.

(And maybe they weren’t quite friends, before, but years of being in this situation, in the manor, will certainly do its part to forge bonds. They are, although Bruce might not admit to it- because he’s a loner!- as good as family to each other.)

And it’s all well and good to claim that you’re happy with the way of things when it doesn’t seem as though there’s any hope of the situation changing.

But now. Now it could change. Now they could all be made whole again, get out of this hellish purgatory of state and _live_ again.

If only Bruce Wayne would open up and let someone into his life. Not his butler or his charges, but someone who could provide a different kind of love. (Different, because Bruce _is_ loved.) Someone who could give him the support and encouragement he needs, that would pull him out of himself and into the world.

Someone like the very nice, handsome man sitting in the library. The one that stumbled across this forsaken manor and saw the state of things and decided to help. Who saw Bruce, in all of his pissy, furry, winged glory, and _stayed_.

Clark Kent is a singular man, one that could change everything, and everyone is overjoyed at his arrival.

Except Bruce. The fucking idiot.

It’s like Bruce _wants_ to stay a giant bat-like beast for the rest of his life. Like he wants his entire household to be stuck as inanimate objects that are bound to him forever and can’t ever leave him-

Oh.

Well, shit.

~

It takes some time and quite a bit of effort for Jason to makes his way down the stairs into the cave. It reminds him how much hates his form, his little legs and cumbersome high back. And he’s not even _leather_.

Being an armchair is _boring_. In a house empty of actual people, he’s completely useless. He doesn’t even get sat on (besides Tim). There was one time that Clark sat on him, but Jason accidentally made a noise of surprise and Clark immediately jumped up and apologised. The man is very careful not to use any of the talking furniture or cutlery. Except for Tim, who somehow managed to convince him that Tim _wants_ to pour him tea. They all want to be useful, really, and Jason would be happy to let Clark enjoy his soft, supportive cushion, but it’s a little difficult to tell someone you want them to sit on you in a way that doesn’t sound weird.

He finds Bruce in the darkest part of the cave of course, hanging from the ceiling with his far smaller brethren. Jason is sure Bruce talks to the bats, though he’s yet to catch him in the act. (Alfred refuses to comment.)

“Okay, big bat,” Jason starts, and Bruce sends him a glare from behind his wing. “I’ve got some stuff to say, and you’ve got some stuff to hear, so I’m gonna talk, and you’re gonna listen.”

Bruce looks like he’s thinking about flying away, but for now he’ll deign to stay, so Jason speaks. “You’ve got to get over yourself.” He would point accusingly, if he had fingers. “You might think this is what you want, but it’s not good for you. It’s not good for any of us.

“Dick needs to be able to move again, jump around and use his legs.” Dick has been stuck hanging from the ceiling. He makes a beautiful chandelier, and he always did love to be up high, but, “His lights are getting dimmer every day.”

Jason says, “Alfred can’t take care anyone like he needs to, and it’s killing him. Damian can’t paint or pet his dog. Cassandra needs to be able to _move_.” He’s particularly sad for her, being a large, glass vase. She’s too heavy and fragile to move or be moved.

“Tim needs someone with arms around that can give him a hug.” Jason’s words echo in the huge, cold cavern. “I need to have actual arms so I can give him that hug.”

Bruce doesn’t say anything, but he rarely does.

Jason sighs. “You don’t have to make yourself feel something. But you do have to try, because we’re all depending on you. We need this.”

Jason leaves, his wooden legs scraping along the ground.

~

The next day Bruce comes up for dinner with Clark.

He doesn’t speak, but Clark seems happy.

Tim gets so excited he nearly loses his lid.

~

When they were human, Jason and Tim didn’t get along. He doesn’t even know why, doesn’t remember what started their animosity (though it was probably Jason’s fault). But they would fight.

When they weren’t human anymore, there didn’t seem to be much point in fighting. All they had was each other, everyone in the manor, with no idea how long they would be stuck there, or if they would ever get to leave.

One day Tim came into the sitting room and he and Jason talked like people for the first time, like they couldn’t do when they actually were people.

That was eight years ago, and Jason has spent the last eight years trying to remember what it feels like to touch a person. He thinks about what Tim would taste like.

Possibly one of the more frustrating things about being cursed and magically turning into an armchair is the inability to jack off.

~

It takes time, of course. Bruce had issues even before he was a giant bat-beast, so. It’s understandable that it’s a little rocky at first, and development is slow going. But he spends most of his time now with Clark, and Clark talks and Bruce sometimes replies.

It’s progress.

The entire household watches.

~

Tim is in his usual place on Jason when it happens, the rush of light and energy that surges throughout the manor.

Jason blinks, and then he’s sprawled on the carpet and Tim is in his lap, blinking back at him.

Blinking, with eyes. Human eyes.

They’re blue.

Jason knew Tim had blue eyes, but seeing them again after so long is dizzying.

“Is this it?” Tim whispers, as if saying it aloud would ruin everything.

“Yeah,” Jason croaks, his human mouth and tongue confused as to how to function. His entire body is confused, and he wants to inspect all of it, make sure everything is where it should be and works properly.

But first, Jason leans forward and hugs Tim.

Tim hugs him back, arms shaky.

When Jason pulls back Tim reaches up to wipe away tears that Jason hadn’t even noticed. Then Tim kisses him, and it feels like a wave of magic all over again.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr [here](http://generatorcat.tumblr.com/), if you want:)


End file.
